First India-Mumbai Edition-4th March 2023

SONIA GANDHI HOSPITALISED,

‘CONDITION STABLE’

New Delhi: Ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi due to bronchitis. In a statement, the hospital said the 76-year-old is stable. She was admitted to the hospital on Thursday, a spokesperson said. P5

SENSEX JUMPS NEARLY 900 PTS, NIFTY OVER 272 PTS

RAJNATH SINGH SPEAKS TO ISRAELI COUNTERPART

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Major General Yoav Gallant and is understood to have discussed key projects relating to co-development of military hardware. P5

Out-of-the-box thinking needed to take tourism to new heights: PM

New Delhi (PTI): PM Narendra Modi on Friday said “out-of-the-box thinking” and “longterm vision” can take tourism to new heights, and added that villages in far-flung areas of India have now come up on the map of tourism.

Addressing a postbudget webinar on ‘Developing Tourism in Mission Mode’, he also pitched for devolving applications which will have information in multiple languages of India and those listed in the United Nations besides multilingual sig-

Thrown out with kids,

`81:

Nawaz's wife tells HC

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Bollywood

actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s estranged wife on Friday informed the Bombay High Court that she and her two minor kids have been thrown out of her mother-in-law’s residence in suburban Mumbai and they have no financial support and that the situation between the estranged couple was hostile.

On Friday, advocate Siddiquee told the court that the actor’s wife and her two children -- a 12-year-old daughter and a sevenyear-old son -- have been thrown out of the home with just Rs 81 in her possession.

The three are now living with a relative, he said, adding that while the boy was too young to say anything, the girl has categorically refused to meet her father.

The prime minister elaborated on how this year’s Union Budget would help the tourism sector and create many economic opportunities for the youth.

nages at tourist sites. He said the India of today is moving forward with a “new work culture”. He expressed delight at the appreciation shown towards

this year’s budget by the people of India, and said had it been an old world culture, no one would have thought of such post-budget webinars.

130 cr Indians pray for PM Modi’s long life: Shah

Union Home Minister lashes out at Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for objectionable slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Bidar (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lashed out at Congress and Aam Aadmi Party for objectionable slogans against PM Narendra Modi, and said that their prayers would not be heard as the people of the country are praying for his long life.

“Congress is not left with any source of winning. The level of Congress is falling day by day under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. These people are raising slogans ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ and AAP says ‘Modi Tu Mar Ja’. God will not listen to you because 130 crore people are praying for PM Modi’s long life,” Shah said here.

Naming Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar and former state CM Siddaramaiah, Shah said that the leaders would not succeed no matter how much they “abuse” the Prime Minister.

He also spoke about the results of the three Northeastern states — Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya and said that the party has been wiped off from the region.

SHAH OFFERS PRAYERS AT GURU NANAK JHIRA SAHIB GURUDWARA IN BIDAR

Bidar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday offered prayers at Guru Nanak Jhira Sahib Gurudwara in Karnataka’s Bidar during his day-long visit to the state. Shah will flag off BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Rath Yatra’ and also address a public meeting in Bidar on Friday. His visit to Karnataka is crucial as Assembly Elections to the 224 seats in the state are likely to be held in May.

SHINDE TO OPPOSITION

“This webinar today is for transformation of the tourism sector, and when all stakeholders come together, we reach desired results and within stipulated time frame,” he said.

“To give new heights to tourism in India, we will have to think out of the box and work with a long-term planning,” the PM said.

CAPTAIN MODI GIVES HIS BOWLERS CERTAIN FREEDOM: S JAISHANKAR

New Delhi: EAM S Jaishankar on Friday likened PM Narendra Modi to a cricket captain saying he gave his bowlers freedom while expecting them to take wickets. He said Modi’s knack of taking tough decisions was also on display when India decided to announce the lockdown after the outbreak of Covid. P6

US CAN WORK WITH INDIA TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: NED PRICE

Washington: US State Dept spokesperson Ned Price said, “India has the ability we have seen from PM Modi to speak with tremendous moral clarity. When Modi said last year “this is not an era of war”, the world listened as they should because when PM Modi and his country said something to that effect.

Intel officers told me to be careful using phone: RaGa

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Maharashtra

CM Eknath Shinde on Friday mocked the Maha Vikas Aghadi over its excitement following the victory of an MVA-backed candidate in Kasba Peth bye-election, saying the BJP has historically swept state and general elections after a few setbacks in bypolls.

Speaking in the legislative assembly during

the debate on the governor’s address to the joint sitting of both Houses, Shinde said, “Now in the next elections, I am also with the BJP. We are the Shiv Sena that contested the last election in alliance with the BJP while you all had contested the election separately.”

Shinde said the Shiv Sena and BJP have identified what went wrong in the Kasba Peth bypoll and the

Mamata deals blow to Oppn alliance hopes

Kolkata: In a blow to hopes of a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has vowed to go it alone in next year’s Lok Sabha polls. After the ruling TMC lost the Sagardighi bypoll in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, to the Congress, Mamata said the result exposed the “unholy alliance” of BJP, Congress and the CPI(M).

'IF COMMON MAN DEFEATED BJP IN KASBA PETH, WHAT ABOUT CHINCHWAD?'

government will win over the people of the constituency in 2024 when assembly elections are to be held in Maharashtra.

“How is it that the NCP is rejoicing over the win in Kasba saying the common man defeated the BJP... Then can it be said that people defeated you in Chinchwad,” he asked.

Despite the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s

RAHUL HAS A HABIT OF DEFAMING INDIA IN FOREIGN LANDS, SAYS ANURAG THAKUR

New Delhi: Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur while criticising former Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his statement regarding Pegasus, said that Pegasus existed in Gandhi’s heart and mind and it had become his habit to defame India in foreign lands using the foreign media, agencies and friends.

In his speech at Cambridge, Congress leader stirs row with claims that several politicians had Pegasus on their phones Cambridge (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack at the Centre during a lecture at Cambridge University, alleging that an attack has been unleashed on the Indian democracy while also claiming that Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to snoop into his phone. Rahul claimed that he had been warned by the intelligence officers to be “careful” while speaking on phone as his calls were being recorded. He further said that constraints were being put on the Parliament, press and the Judiciary in the country.

IN THE COURTYARD

EXCISE POLICY CASE: SISODIA

MOVES BAIL PLEA IN TRIAL COURT

New Delhi: Former Delhi Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia, presently in CBI remand, moved a regular bail petition in a trial court on Friday. He was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of GNCTD. According to the lawyer concerned, hearing on the bail plea will be held on Saturday.

foot march from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, the party lost all three assembly polls in the northeast, he said, referring to the BJP’s dominance in the recently held elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Shinde hit out at the Opposition for calling his government “illegal”. He said, “We have done nothing wrong and functioned on merit.”

PAWAN KHERA’S BAIL

EXTENDED TILL 17 SC TO SET UP BENCH FOR HIJAB PLEAS

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday extended till March 17 the interim bail granted to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case related to alleged objectionable remarks he made against PM Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: In the Hijab row, the Supreme Court on Friday assured the petitioner that it will constitute a bench and hear the plea, seeking to allow female students to appear in the examination wearing Hijab in Karnataka.

`6 cr cash seized from BJP MLA son’s house

Bengaluru (ANI): The anti-corruption wing of Lokayukta on Friday raided the residence of BJP MLA Maadal Virupakshappa’s son Prashant Maadal and recovered Rs 6 crore cash. The search was still on. Earlier on Thursday, Karnataka Lokayukta officers caught Virupakshappa’s son taking a bribe of Rs 40 lakh. According to Lokayukta officails, more than Rs 1.7 crore in cash was found at Prashanth Madal’s office on Thursday. P5

The Lokayukta officials counting the seized cash.

MLA STEPS DOWN AS KSDL CHIEF AFTER RAID

Bengaluru: BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa on Friday resigned as the chairman of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited hours after the anti-corruption wing of Lokayukta raided the house of his son Prashant Madal.

Maha CM Eknath Shinde

Ministers G Kishan Reddy, Arjun R Meghwal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Hardeep Puri, Piyush Goyal, Shripad Naik attend PM’s webinar.

PM Narendra Modi addresses a post-budget webinar on ‘Developing Tourism in Mission Mode’, in New Delhi, on Friday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah being felicitated during the launch of Vijay Sankalp Yatra and public meeting at Devanahalli near Bengaluru, on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with people at Cambridge in London, United Kingdom. —PHOTO BY PTI

DAY 05 OF MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATURE BUDGET SESSION

Fadnavis echoes Ahluwalia on OPS demand

State Home minister cites increment to 68% in state’s expenditure

First India Bureau Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday expressed opposition for the old pension scheme (OPS) in the Legislative Council enchoing former Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Fadnavis was responding to a question raised by Congress member Rajesh Rathod regarding the state’s plans on the implementation of OPS for teachers and state government employees who joined after 2005.

Recently, economist and NITI Aayog’s Ahluwalia said that going

back to implementing OPS was a “recipe for financial bankruptcy”.

Fadnavis told the Upper House, “Ahluwalia has said that reverting to OPS amounts to passing the financial burden onto the next governments. Salaries, wages and pensions already account for 58% of the state’s annual expenditure and it is increasing to 62%. By the next financial year, it will be 68%.”

Under Old Pension Scheme (OPS), employees get a defined pension. An employee is entitled to a 50% amount of the last drawn salary as the pension. OPS was discontinued by the

BUDGET SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

NOW PANEL FOR TRANSPARENCY IN CREDIT SOCS

BULDHANA DIST CLASS XII PAPER DISCUSSED

PENSION SCHEME

as

main reason

for no reversal to old scheme

Major retirements will happen in 2030. More than 2.5 lakh employees will retire by then. Some of the pension amount deducted currently from the monthly salaries is invested in the capital market. Most of the major countries follow the same process.”

—Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Deputy CM

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government in 2003 with effect from April 01, 2004.

“Major retirements will happen in 2030. More than 2.5 lakh employees will retire by then. Some of the pension amount deducted currently from the monthly salaries is invested in the capital market. Most of the ma-

jor countries follow the same process,” he said.

“I will hold a meeting with teachers and the finance secretary to find out if there is any viable solution which would be better than the National Pension Scheme (which is contributory),” Fadnavis said.

When Leader of Opposition in the Council Ambadas Danve asked

Caste verification panels in Maha epicentre of corruption: Fadnavis

Mumbai: A committee of experts will be set up to prevent financial irregularities in credit societies and ensure that depositors get their money, Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Atul Save told the state legislative Assembly on Friday. Responding to the issue raised through a Calling Attention notice, the minister said a committee of experts from the cooperative field will be set up in 15 days and it will work to resolve problems faced by credit societies.

Mumbai: An alleged incident of question paper leak of Class XII Mathematics exam in Buldhana district figured in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, with the Opposition demanding strict action against those behind it.

Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar raised the alleged malpractice at Sindhkhedraja in the district and asked the government to act on it, as did Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

MAHA GOVT SEEKS DETAILS OF RANSOM CASE FROM WHATSAPP

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday informed the Assembly that the state Home Ministry has sought the details from the WhatsApp chats of a Nodal officer accused of demanding ransom. The families of girls who have been filmed by some unidentified persons through hidden cameras were allegedly asked for ransom by the official. Fadnavis’s written reply came while responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Jaykumar Rawal on the issue. He also informed that an offence is registered under section 500 against unknown persons.

‘MUMBAI SAW

70% RISE IN CYBER CRIME’

10-20% HIKE IN ANGANWADI WORKERS’ PAY

First India Bureau Mumbai: Caste verification committees have become an epicentre of corruption and the state government will come up with a better and transparent panel to solve the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the state Legislative Council on Friday. Fadnavis made the statement while responding

to a question by BJP MLC Ramesh Patil. “The caste verification

committees have become an epicentre of corruption. There are

ACROSS PARTY LINES…

officials who have been working in these committees for nearly 15 years and they misuse their position for financial gains. The state government will try to come up with a better and transparent committee that will solve the issue,” Fadnavis said.

The deputy chief minister further said that he had not seen this kind of functioning in other states. A

meeting of senior officials will be held to come up with solutions and suggestions to make the entire system less tedious for people, he said.

Responding to question by BJP MLC Pravin Datke, Fadnavis said certain castes that were not listed in the state’s record earlier have now been recognised for reservation purposes, he said.

Privileges Committee meets over Raut’s jibe

First India Bureau Mumbai: The newlyconstituted 28-member Privileges Committee of the Maharashtra Assembly met for the first time on Friday under the chairmanship of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Rahul Kul.

The committee was set up by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday under Kul amid uproar over Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut allegedly calling the Vidhimandal (state legislature) “chor-mandal” (council of thieves).

However, Raut’s issue did not figure in the meeting, senior Con-

DUE DILIGENCE

gress MLA Nitin Raut said.

“The issue is not on the agenda of the committee as of now. the speaker will announce on March 08 if the notice will be sent to the committee. The next meeting of the privileges committee will be on March 09,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Atul Bhatkalkar submitted a breach of privilege notice against Raut to Narwekar.

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said Mumbai witnessed a 70% rise in cyber crime cases in 2022 compared to the previous year.

At least 4,286 cases of cyber fraud were registered in Mumbai over a period of one year till November 2022, Fadnavis said responding to a question by MLC Bhai Girkar in the Council. Of 4,268 cyber fraud cases registered in a year till November 2022, only 279 have been solved, he added.

Mumbai: The government has decided to hike the remuneration of anganwadi workers, with “sevikas” set to get 20% more and helpers 10%, state Women and Child Welfare Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said in the Assembly on Friday. He also said vacant anganwadi posts would be filled soon, while new mobile phones have been bought by his department that will have the ‘track app’ to streamline operations.

Gorhe seeks details on whip request

First India Bureau Mumbai: Deputy Chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council, Neelam Gorhe, has sought more details with regard to a letter by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking appointment of Viplove Bajoria as Shiv Sena whip in the Upper House. An official from the state legislature said, “The Thackeray camp has already appointed

Vilas Potnis as the whip of the party. However, when CM Shinde sent us a letter asking us to appoint Viplove Bajoria as the whip of the party, the administration needs to know the details of the meeting where this decision was taken.”

While Gorhe, a senior legislator, is part of the Thackeray camp, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shinde bloc in the state currently does

not have a majority in the Upper House. When asked about the need for these details, the official said, “If someone challenges

the appointment of Bajoria as the whip in a court, we need to have documentary evidence to prove it. Hence it is necessary to have details on the Shinde camp’s meeting, its venue and the resolutions passed in it.”

The move is expected to give the Thackeray camp some breathing space as no decision will likely be taken on Shinde’s letter till the details are submitted to the dep-

how states like Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh states are planning to implement OPS, Fadnavis said it might not be financially feasible to go with it.

“If you keep the pension amount in a bank, you will get a maximum of 4% interest on it. India being a developing country, our inflation will remain over 7%. It means, keeping the amount in a bank is not viable,” said Fadnavis.

“High returns are possible only in the capital market. In last five years, mutual funds have given 11% returns on investments. Hence, people should not be worried about it,” he added.

SUSPECTED NAXALITES TORCH THREE VEHICLES

Gadchiroli: Suspected Naxalites set on fire three vehicles engaged in bridge construction work in Gadchiroli district of eastern Maharashtra, police said on Friday. The incident took place on Thursday night in Ettapalli taluka, they said. This is the second such incident in the district this week, the police said. “Armed Naxalites torched one JCB machine, one Poclain machine and one mixer machine vehicle engaged in the construction of a bridge on Puraslagondi-Alenga road,” a police official said. An investigation is being carried out into the incident, he said.

MAN HELD FOR PRINTING FAKE CURRENCY

Jalgaon: A man from Kusumba village in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra has been arrested for printing counterfeit Indian currency notes at his home. Investigation has revealed that he learned to do so through watching YouTube videos. M Rajkumar, Jalgaon Superintendent of Police (SP) said, “It is suspected that some more people are associated with him.”

uty chairperson’s office.

Earlier, Bharat Gogawale, the chief whip of Shiv Sena in the Assembly as per Speaker Rahul Narwekar, had said, “Shinde is the Shiv Sena leader and accepting his letter to change the chief whip is the precedence.”

The Election Commission has already allotted the name Shiv Sena and its symbol (bow and arrow) will remain with CM Shinde, he said.

Navi Mumbai: There has been a slight drop in the supply of onion in the onion-potato market in the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Vashi. The wholesale market has not seen much of a change in price. On Thursday, the APMC administration reported that approximately 820 tonnes of onion arrived in the market. The average buying price of onions was between ₹Rs7 and Rs13 per kg at the wholesale market. This comes as farmers protest low prices in state.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis arrives at Vidhan Bhavan for the ongoing Budget Session in Mumbai on Friday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. —FILE PHOTO

Sanjay Raut —FILE PHOTO

Neelam Gorhe —FILE PHOTO

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Aditi Tatkare and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Namita Mundada share a light moment at the Vidhan Bhavan prior to the ongoing Budget Session at the state Assembly in Mumbai on Friday. —PHOTO BY BHUSHAN KOYANDE

‘

HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE HUMANS TOO, CAN’T ORDER THEIR REMOVAL’

HC denies PIL on unauthorized vendors, hawkers occupying footpaths in city

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to pass any order for removal of homeless people in south Mumbai. While reading out its order, the court observed, “Homelessness is a global issue but people living on streets are also human beings with the same footing as everyone else.”

A division bench comprising Justice Gautam Patel and Justice Neelam Gokhale was dealing with an application filed in a petition taken up suo motu (on its own) by HC on the issue of unauthorized vendors and hawkers occupying the city’s footpaths and sidewalks.

The application filed by the Bombay Bar Association said several persons live and sleep on the footpaths and sidewalks near the Fountain area in south Mumbai.

The application said

SNIPPY MOOD

In a satirical remark, the court said the BMC’s simplest solution to such challenges would be to start construction at the spot or build a Metro station. “Start digging and everyone will go away. No one gets to use the footpath then. No pedestrian can walk on it...no car can drive there...no one can live on it. Problem solved. The construction then goes on for years. It is an ideal solution,” Justice Patel quipped.

letters were also written to the city police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking action.

The bench, however, questioned what judicial order could be passed in such cases.

“Are you saying the city must get rid of the

Railways working to become ‘green’

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Indian Railways is now working on a war footing level to be the largest green railways in the world and is moving in the direction of becoming ‘net zero carbon emitter’ by 2030, said the Central Railway on Friday.

In a statement, the Central Railway said, “The railways is guided by a holistic vision of being an environment friendly, efficient, cost effective, punctual and a modern carrier of passengers as well as freight, in order to serve the growing needs of New India.”

“The conversion of DC traction on Mumbai Division of Central Railway to AC traction began in 2001 and progres-

Bandra’s Metro station shift: CM directs for action

First India Bureau

Sexual assault case against teen quashed

Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court has quashed a case of sexual assault registered against a 19-yearold man considering his age and after the minor victim's mother consented to the same.

They (homeless persons) are also human beings. They may be poor or less fortunate, but they are still human beings and that makes them to be on the same footing as everybody else before us in court.

—Justice Gautam Patel, Bombay High Court

poor? These are the persons who come from other cities looking for opportunities here. The issue of homeless persons is a global one,” the court said.

“They (homeless persons) are also human beings. They may be poor or less fortunate,

but they are still human beings and that makes them to be on same footing as everybody else before us in court,” Justice Patel said. The association’s counsel Milind Sathe suggested that night shelters be made available for such persons.

A division bench of Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice SG Dige in its February 22 order observed that the accused was a student who was on friendly terms with the victim. The duo had stayed together without inform-

ing the girl’s parents. This had prompted the girl’s mother to lodge a complaint against the alleged accused, the bench said. The youngster had approached the court seeking that the case against him be quashed. The victim’s mother informed the high court that she has given her consent for the FIR to be quashed, and taking note of this, the court quashed the case.

Mumbai: After recent reports of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) discreetly shifting a station on Metro 2B corridor to a new location, city BJP President Ashish Shelar met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Metropolitan Commissioner SVR Srinivas. Shelar demanded that National College station be re-shifted to the previous location. Shinde has directed the MMRDA chief to take appropriate action in this regard, as reported by Mid-day.

The meeting was held in the presence of former Bandra West BJP corporators Swapna Mhatre and Hetal

Move comes after MMRDA shifted location of one of the stations

Gala. As per the earlier plan for the Metro 2B corridor, there will be two stations in Bandra West—Bandra, which was to come up near the Lucky restaurant signal and National College, which was planned near Jivan Kiran Bungalow opposite Western Railway Employees Colony. According to residents, the latter had been shifted opposite Tata Blocks Parsi Colony, starting from Grace Galaxy hotel and extending up to the Maruti Auto Vista showroom on SV Road in Bandra.

BEST bringing back 400 CNG buses on city streets soon

First India Bureau Mumbai: 400 CNG buses are going to be added back in the fleet in the city by the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport undertaking (BEST). The buses took off the streets after three fire incidents in one single month of 2023.

According to Lokesh Chandra, BEST General Manager, the officials have already put 100 buses into service after the responsible agency carried out all the repair work and necessary checks. In the next couple of days, the remaining buses will also be put back into the fleet, he added.

The BEST, in a statement earlier, had said that a team of TATA Motors engineering arrived from Lucknow and is in the process of re-examining all the buses for compliance of safety standards and safety norms,” it said.

Police issues preventive order, shares list of prohibitory acts and exemptions

First India Bureau

‘PLAN TO MAKE VANDE BHARAT TRAINS IN LATUR FACILITY MOVING QUICKLY’

Latur: The plan to make 200 advanced Vande Bharat trains, including a major portion in Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur in Maharashtra, has taken a decisive step with the lowest and second lowest bidders being chosen in a Rs58,000-crore tender, an official said on Friday.

sively, without significant disturbance to the lifeline of the nation, i.e. suburban services, was completed in 2016,” the statement added.

Mumbai: Police on Friday issued a preventive order for the city. The city police ordered that certain acts be prohibited in order to preserve public peace and safety.

The notification has prohibited the carrying of weapons, explosives, missiles, and other objects which can cause physical harm, as well as the exhibition of persons or corpses, the public utterance of cries, singing of songs, playing of music, delivery of harangues, and the preparation, exhibition or dissemination of pictures, symbols, placards or any other object which may be deemed offensive or immoral.

The order further said that if any person goes

armed with any such article, he/she shall be liable to be disarmed and article to be seized from him/ her by any police officer, and article shall be forfeited to state government. This order will not apply to any person employed in service or em-

NO ASSISTANCE

ployment of any government or government undertaking, or to private security guards, gurkhas, chowkidars, etc., who are required by their superiors or by nature of their duties to carry weapons, or who are employed on watchn-ward duties carrying

lathis no longer than 3½ feet.

This order states that any investigations, legal proceedings, penalties, forfeitures, or punishments incurred due to any violation of this order may still be imposed, even after order has expired.

Schools in fix as SSC students ‘overcrowd’ exam centres

Now, the Maharasthra board has left exam centres to figure out logistics of accommodating more candidates on their own

First India Bureau

Mumbai: With the Maharashtra Board examinations of Class X underway, several schools have reported logistical issues in accommodating a higher number of students appearing for exams.

A total of 3.54 lakh students are appearing for the exams from the Mumbai division which includes Mumbai city, Thane, Palghar, and Raigad. At 1.16 lakh, the

highest number of students hailed from Thane, while the lowest came from South Mumbai at 30,850.

Few schools that are hosting exams within the city have reported an increased influx of students than the previous years. “Our school will be going online for Class I-IX till the Board exams come to an end. We have seen a rise in students assigned to us and we need to accommodate

all of them,” said Poonam Arora, Principal of Bombay Cambridge International School in Andheri.

In order to ensure students appearing for Boards are not disturbed, classes are held for other grades only during hours when examinations are not being conducted.

To many it seems that the Maharashtra Board has thrown in the towel after assigning the schools to the students, providing no assistance to the institutions in need. “After years of having only 700-750 students (appearing for Boards), the board has suddenly

sent 1,000 SSC and 533 HSC students our way,” said Sudhir Ghagas, Principal of Padmashri Annasaheb Jadhav School in Bhiwandi.

In their defense, board members have said that the number of students assigned to each centre is valid and proportional to their admissions.

“It is possible that these schools have upped their intake in the past few years. We match the intake of schools to the number of pupils we assign them,” said Anuradha Oak, Secretary of the Maharashtra State Board.

ED SEARCHES AT PROPERTIES OF 2 DEVELOPERS

Nagpur: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted searches at 17 properties of two real estate businessmen in Nagpur city on Friday, an official said while commenting on same. Searches were underway at the properties of one Mehadia and Rammu alias Ramdev Agrawal, owner of Sandesh City, he said.

BUILDER ATTACKED WITH AXE FOR NOT PAYING ` 1 CRORE

Thane: Police in Thane city registered a case against two men for seriously injuring a builder after he refused to comply with their demand for extortion money of Rs1 crore, said an official. The station house officer of Daighar police station said the accused, were trying to extort money from complainant for past two weeks.

ONE KILLED

AFTER

LUXURY BUS RAMS INTO STATIONARY TEMPO ON HIGHWAY

Mumbai: A driver of a tempo was killed on Friday morning after a luxury bus collided with his vehicle parked on the roadside of the Western Express Highway in Mumbai’s Vakola area. “Driver Akhtar Chowdhary had to stop his tempo on the side of the highway due to some issue in the vehicle. However, the luxury bus carrying airport crew members hit it from behind, in which he suffered serious injuries and died later,” an official said. No passenger from the bus was injured in the accident, police said.

TRUCK DRIVER BOOKED AS LIQUOR GOES MISSING

Thane: A truck driver has been charged after 300 boxes of alcohol worth Rs4.7 lakh went missing from a consignment he delivered in Mumbai’s Chembur area on December 28, 2002. The alcohol was being transported from a manufacturer in Aurangabad. The driver claimed that someone had stolen 14 boxes, said an official.

GANG BUSTED, 53 STOLEN VEHICLES RECOVERED

Thane: The Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar police in Maharashtra on Friday said they have recovered 53 stolen vehicles worth Rs4.75 crore following the arrest of two drivers from Rajasthan. The two accused, identified as Farooq Tayyab Khan(36) and Mubin Harris Khan(40), were arrested from Alwar in January, official said.

LEOPARD SKIN SEIZED IN NAVI MUMBAI; TWO HELD FOR ATTEMPT TO SELL IT

Thane: The Navi Mumbai police seized a leopard skin and arrested two men involved in killing the animal and attempting to sell the skin, an official said on Friday. Based on a tip-off, the police apprehended one of the accused near Kharpada toll naka on the Mumbai-Goa Highway, said senior inspector Ravindra Patil of crime unit II of Panvel police. Police seized leopard skin from the accused who was planning to sell it.

Homelessness a global issue, said division bench.

—PHOTO BY ANI

BJP city chief Ashish Shelar met CM over the issue. —FILE PHOTO

GEO POLITICAL CHALLENGES 2023 INDIA’S ROLE AND PERSPECTIVE

IN-DEPTH INDIA PART OF RUSSIA-LED TROIKA AND AMERICA-LED QUAD GROUP

The past one year has witnessed a visibly aggressive Chinese posture in the Indo-Pacific, wherein Chinese clashed with Indian troops on Sino Indian border (and controversial construction of bases in Islands in South China Sea. Apart from this China’s potential invasion of Taiwan remains a burning issue

The war in Ukraine and USChina tensions pose the most significant risks to the global economy and political stability in 2023 and beyond. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rapidly inflated energy and food prices, leading to cost issues for businesses and soaring living costs for consumers in 2022 and amid all this the world is getting divided on lines of cold war era once again with US and West on one side and Russia - China axis on the other. Improving economy and growing international stature can put India in driver’s seat and its multialignment approach to geopolitics is likely be validated in 2023. India is today in the midst of a major geopolitical repositioning, trying to pursue a national interests-based policy whereby continuing good relations with its most dependable ally Russia and at the same time build stronger strategic ties the United States and its allies in the region, especially Japan.

GEO- POLITICAL SCENARIO AND MAJOR CHALLENGES - 2023

Russia-Ukraine war. A yearlong Russia-Ukraine war has impacted the world’s food and energy security, and is pushing the global economy towards a recession. The nuclear rhetoric from Russian leaders has caused global anxiety. Another major concern is triggering of arms race and revival of cold war

LOTUS BLOOMS ALL OVER NORTH-EAST

era. The war has rapidly inflated energy and food prices, leading to cost issues for businesses and soaring living costs for consumers in 2022. With de-escalation unlikely in near future the situation is going to be more explosive resulting in political turmoil.

Chinese Aggressive Posture The past one year has witnessed a visibly aggressive Chinese posture in the Indo-Pacific, wherein Chinese clashed with Indian troops on Sino Indian border (Galwan and Tawang) and controversial construction of bases in Islands in South China Sea. Apart from this China’s potential invasion of Taiwan remains a burning issue that keeps the two largest economies, the US and China at loggerheads and both are continuously engaged in diminishing each other’s political and economic influence over the other countries. A possible fallout of this may be reorientation of supply chain management and restructuring of the global economy which may further widen the political and economic divide.

Resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan. The new Taliban regime in Afghanistan post US withdrawal remains a major challenge for peace and stability in the region. The influence and control of Pakistan and its Army over Taliban still remains a point of speculation and consideration. India reopened its operations in the Indian embassy in Kabul and began the process of re-engaging by sending humanitarian aid in the form of food grains, vaccines, and essential medicines. While signalling a long-term commit-

ongress can draw consolation from its three bye-election victories, mainly Kasba Peth in Maharashtra and Sagardighi in West Bengal, while analysing the sobering message from its rout in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland. For the record, the party retained the Erode (East) seat in Tamil Nadu. On the contrary, the BJP has every reason to rejoice over its triumph in the three north-eastern state which are now well in its control. With both Meghalaya and Nagaland being predominantly Christian states the BJP’s wins prove that it is no longer a political pariah in these states because of its strong Hinduism pitch. The

India’s strategy to have enhanced cooperation with the US and allies (the QUAD) to make Indo Pacific secure and peaceful and countering Chinese influence will have to be consolidated further and at the same time India will have to work out its strategic response to stand up to the bully with firmness

ment to development of Afghanistan, India has to draw redlines on the Menace of Extremism and Rights of Minorities and Women.

Indo - Pak Relationship. Since February 2021, the borders with Pakistan have been remarkably quiet with a notable reduction in cross-border firings. However, the cease-fire has not led to normalisation or a thaw in other areas of the India-Pakistan relationship. Both the countries continue to rake up issues for domestic consumption and the status quo is likely to continue new civilian government and top Army hierarchy change their stance after the general elections are held this year.

INDIA’S ROLE AND PERSPECTIVE

India’s strategy to have enhanced cooperation with the US and allies (the QUAD) to make Indo Pacific secure and peaceful and countering Chinese influence will have to be consolidated further and at the same time India will have to work out its strategic response to stand up to the

defeats

Tripura,

is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi

BJP also has no trouble sitting alongside beef eaters in these states as there is no restriction on cow slaughter. Some would call it a politically expedient approach to take firm control of power but does it matter really? The hard lesson which the

bully with firmness. More clashes and competing interests with India are likely, which will have to be resolved through enhancing trade and commerce leverage and use Russian influence during mutual negotiations.

India’s continued friendship and cooperation with Russia despite the US and the west blaming Russia for Ukraine war and India buying oil from Russia in spite of economic sanctions has irked them. India’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has picked up momentum with an eye to balance China’s inroads across Eurasia.

Playing host to world leaders at the G-20 summit in September will validate India’s rising importance and brokering substantive consensus on pressing global concerns will certainly demonstrate its international influence. India is determined to steer the forum clear of divisive geopolitical issues like the RussiaUkraine war and instead concentrate on more inclusive manner on the collective concerns of climate change.

India has proven resilient, managing the pandemic, internal protests, climate-induced disasters and economic shocks and emerged as growing nation with potential economy. The continued path of economic growth, improved infrastructure, seeking more FDI, reliance on hi tech growth, self-sufficiency in energy and defence sectors and a clean, stable political environment are few domestic agendas that will pave way for facing the new geo political challenges in future.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Congress must learn from its defeats in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be the most powerful leader in the country. Under Modi’s leadership, dislodging BJP from power in 2024 seems impossible. The defeat of the Left-Congress alliance in Tripura holds key to future alliances. The Congress leadership should be as wary about some of the regional parties as regional parties are about the Congress. It has to prove it is more trustworthy than the BJP. As for Trinamool Congress, the party was all sound and fury before and during the election but ended in a whimper. The party may have spoilt the show for the Congress and Left.

In a statement at a conference in New Delhi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Russia, India, China troika was still functioning. The troika concretised after a meeting between the foreign ministers of the three countries in February 2022. Observers viewed it as an arrangement to contain America. It also saw the emergence of a bipolar world which would no longer tolerate bullying by the US. Troika’s surprising part is the sitting together of India and China despite their deep difference with Russia playing the balancing role. Russia, India and China are also part of BRICS, along with Brazil and South Africa. There is a growing unease over China’s growing military and economic might. Although their enunciated policy makes no mention of China being in its crosshairs, Quad members---Australia, US, India and Japan ---came together only to counter its increasing influence. For India it is running with the hare and hunting with the hound to play safe.

SPIRITUAL SPEAK

The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice.

Bhagavad Gita

TOP TWEETS

and

of the Congress-JD(S) are to be uprooted to fulfil lord Basavanna’s dream. People gathered in large numbers at a rally in Bidar to pledge to re-elect BJP with a two-thirds majority in Karnataka.

Was happy to speak with the Defence Minister of Israel, Major General Yoav Gallant. India attaches tremendous importance to its relations with Israel. Looking forward to work closely with him towards strengthening the defence cooperation between both the countries.

The hard lesson which the Congress must learn from its

in

Meghalaya and Nagaland

continues to be the most powerful leader in the country

COL RAJESH BHUKAR

The author is a Post Graduate in International Studies, Alumni of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Combat, Mhow

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD EVENT

‘MAKE DELHI GLOBAL CENTRE OF EDU’

Our dream is to make Delhi the centre of education for the whole world

New Delhi (ANI): Delhi

Chief Minister Arvind

Kejriwal on Friday attended an Excellence in Education Award event where he felicitated a number of students of Delhi and said his dream is to make Delhi a centre of education for the whole world.

Speaking at the event, CM Kejriwal said, “A few days ago I met a woman on a flight who said that last year she also received the Excellence Award from a school. She was proud of it and I also felt good.

We have been giving this award teachers of children since 2015. Now people consider this award as a big medal.”

“When I was giving awards to the students, I saw confidence and hap-

A few days ago I met a woman on a flight who said that last year she also received the Excellence Award from a school. She was proud of it and I also felt good. We have been giving this award to teachers of children since 2015. Now people consider this award as a big medal.

—Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister

piness on their faces. Students who didn’t receive the award this year I wish in coming years they will also receive the award,” he added.

In the last seven-eight years, the education gap between private and government schools has ended. Excellence Award is the confluence of both education systems. Now there is no discrimination between government and private

schools, Kejriwal added. He added, “There are around 1800 Municipal Corporation of Delhi schools. Their conditions are also not good but we will start trying to fix them soon.”

Our dream is to make Delhi the centre of education for the whole world. To improve education quality in the national capital the teachers and principals of both private and government schools have

AAP TO HOLD 2,500 'NUKKAD SABHAS' IN DELHI AFTER SISODIA ARREST

IN THE COURTYARD

HC DISMISSES PETITION FILED BY UP GOVT SEEKING BAIL CANCELLATION OF AZAM KHAN

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by the Uttar Pradesh Government seeking bail cancellation of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. The High Court told the UP government to go to a lower court to file a petition in this matter. The hearing of the case was done under a single bench of Justice DK Singh. Uttar Pradesh Government had filed an application in the High court for cancellation of bail granted in 13 cases to Azam Khan.

SC RESERVES ORDER ON BAIL PLEA OF KOREGAON ACCUSED

GIVE REP. BEFORE EC ON PLEA ABOUT CRIMINAL HISTORY: SC

worked hard. The results so far are good and we will definitely succeed, the CM said.

Earlier on February 28, Delhi Deputy Minister Manish Sisodia resigned from the cabinet.

The development comes after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia was arrested on February 26, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

New Delhi: The AAP will be conducting 2,500 nukkad sabhas across Delhi to reach out to people and inform them about BJP’s “authoritarianism”, following the arrest of its senior leader and former minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI. On Thursday, an organisational meeting was chaired by Delhi state convenor Gopal Rai and the state unit decided to organise mohalla sabhas and nukkad sabhas to reach out to the residents and inform them “about the misuse of central agencies by the Modi government”, the AAP said. Rai said that a volunteer meeting will be held in all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi on March 3 to “expose” the BJP.

BJP MLA K Madal’s son caught taking bribe

Madal is untraceable and has applied for a pre-arrest bail, sources said

Bengaluru: A Karna-

taka BJP MLA has been named as the main accused after an eye-popping mountain of cash worth over ₹ 8 crore was found in searches at his home and office and his bureaucrat son was caught accepting a bribe, officials said on Friday, in a huge embarrassment for the party trying to woo voters for elections later this year.

The anti-corruption wing of the Lokayukta - the state's ombuds -

New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has termed as “untrue” Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement that the parliamentary IT committee has given a “thumbs up” to the revised draft of the data protection bill, and said the bill has not been formally sent to the panel.

Karti Chidambaram’s party colleague Shashi Tharoor called for widespread consultation on the bill.

man - dug out ₹ 6 crore in cash at the home of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa and ₹ 1.75 crore from his office after his son Prashanth Madal was caught tak-

ing a bribe on Thursday. According to sources, the MLA is untraceable and has applied for a pre-arrest bail. The search went on till late in the night.

LOKAYUKTA IS INDEPENDENT, CULPRITS MUST BE PUNISHED: CM BOMMAI

Bengaluru (ANI): Reacting to raid conducted by the anti-corruption wing of Lokayukta at the house of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashant Madal, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai on Friday said that Lokayukta is independent, and let free and fair investigation happen. “The reason behind restarting Lokayukta is to curb corruption in the state. In the Congress regime, many such cases were found but later it was closed. The anti-corruption wing Lokayukta is independent and lets free and fair investigation happen. There has to be an action against those who are guity,” CM Bommai said. “Our motive is to punish culprits, all details are with Lokayukta, whose money was that, where it comes from, everything must come out,” he added. “Earlier (during Congress regime) Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) closed many corruption cases and stopped investigations. Let everything be investigated and the truth come out, we will investigate all those cases,” he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh speaks to Israeli counterpart

Vaishnaw on Thursday said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has given a “thumbs up” for the revised draft of the data protection law.

New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Major General Yoav Gallant and is understood to have discussed key projects relating to co-development of military hardware. In a tweet, Singh said India attaches “tremendous importance” to its relations with Israel.

“Was happy to speak with the Defence Minister of Israel, Major General Yoav Gallant. India

attaches tremendous importance to its relations with Israel,” Singh said. “Looking forward to work closely with him towards

strengthening the defence cooperation between both the countries,” he said. Netanyahu is expected to visit India this year.

INDIAN CONSCIOUSNESS

New Delhi: Another letter by incarcerated alleged conman, Sukesh Chandrashekhar has now surfaced, which is addressed to the media and social media pages, making fresh allegations against Delhi CMr Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain. Chandrashekhar, who is lodged in the national capital’s Mandoli jail, has alleged in his five-page letter that Sisosdia’s arrest by CBI is just a starting and that he has “looted commissions” in every department that he was heading as being a Deputy Chief Minister.

Sonia Gandhi admitted to hospital, condition stable

New Delhi: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi due to bronchitis. In a statement, the hospital said that the 76-year-old is stable.

Gandhi was admitted to the hospital yesterday, a hospital spokesperson said.

New Delhi: The SC on Friday reserved an order on the bail pleas of Bhima Koregaon case accused Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, lodged in jail since August 2018. Gonsalves and Ferreira had approached the SC against an order by which the Bombay High Court denied them default bail, even as the same benefit was granted to another co-accused, Sudha Bharadwaj.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the petitioner to give representation before Election Commission with his plea seeking the candidate's criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications. With this direction, a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud disposed of the plea filed by doctor Adwaita Gahlot Kapur and Advocate Sanjana Gahlot.

NOT COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO RSS ROUTE MARCHES: TAMIL NADU GOVT TELLS SC

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu govt on Friday told the Supreme Court that they are not totally against the RSS route march but can’t permit it in sensitive locations. RSS on Friday also assured the Supreme Court that it is not going to hold any route march on March 5 in Tamil Nadu as the organisation has decided to postpone the rally. Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for RSS, told the Supreme Court the organisation is not going to do anything till March 11 or March 12.

EXAMINE ABNORMAL PREGNANCY OF 27 WEEKS: HC TO AIIMS

New Delhi: The Delhi HC on Friday directed the AIIMS to constitute a medical board to examine the woman who has sought permission to terminate 27 weeks of pregnancy. The woman has said that the foetus is suffering from cardiac abnormality. Justice Prathiba M Singh said, "considering the nature of abnormality let a medical board be constituted by the AIIMS."

DS Rana, Chairman, Trust Society, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said Mrs Gandhi has been admitted to the hospital under the supervision of Arup Basu, senior consultant, Department of Chest Medicine, and his team, "on account of fever".

The bulletin said, "Sonia Gandhi is under observation and undergoing investigations. Her condition is stable."

This is the second time she has been admitted to a hospital this year. In January, Sonia Gandhi had been admitted to a Delhi Hospital for treatment of a viral respiratory infection.

20 JUDGES ELEVATED AS PERMANENT JUDGES IN 4 HIGH COURTS

New Delhi: The Centre Govt on Friday notified the elevation of 20 additional judges to permanent Judges in various High Courts. Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday tweeted in this regard and wished them best wishes. “As per relevant provisions under the Constitution, the following Additional Judges are appointed as Permanent Judges of respective HCs.”, he tweeted.

DENYING ADMISSION UNDER EWS CATEGORY FRUSTRATES RIGHT TO EDUCATION: DELHI HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court said that the denial of admission by a school under the EWS/DG category even after allotment of school by the Directorate of Education (DOE), frustrates the noble objective of the Right to Education Act, 2009. “It violates the fundamental rights of children belonging to the EWS/DG category, as enshrined under Article 21-A of the Constitution, as also undermining the object of the RTE Act, 2009”, said the Delhi High Court.

SC REJECTS MALLYA’S PLEA AGAINST BID TO DECLARE HIM FUGITIVE

New Delhi: The SC Friday dismissed a plea by beleaguered Vijay Mallya challenging the proceedings in a Mumbai court to declare him a fugitive economic offender and confiscate his properties. The apex court dismissed the petition for non-prosecution after the counsel representing Mallya submitted that he was not getting any instructions from the petitioner in the matter.

JUSTICE AMIT SHARMA OF DELHI HC AS PERMANENT JUDGE

New Delhi: In an addition to the list of Delhi HC permanent judges, the Centre has issued a notification for the appt of Justice Amit Sharma, who was earlier practicing as an Additional Judge. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday took to Twitter to post the list of additional judges, who have been appointed as permanent judges in the high courts of Allahabad, Bombay, Delhi and Madras.

Prez inaugurates 7th International Dharma Dhamma Conference

Bhopal (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Seventh International Dharma Dhamma Conference, organised by the India Foundation in collaboration with the Sanchi University of BuddhistIndic Studies, in Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, the President has said that the great banyan tree of Indian spirituality has its roots in India and its branches

and vines are spread all over the world.

“For scholars, there are different schools of philosophy. But the mystics of the world speak the same language. When realised souls decided to become compassionate teachers or gurus, their traditions came into existence. Many such traditions originated in India and have been flourishing across the world,” she said.

“The concept of

DEEP IMPACT

Dharma-Dhamma has been the basic voice of Indian consciousness.

In our tradition it is said, ‘Dharyate anen iti dharmah’ – that which supports is dharma. The entire humanity rests on the foundation stone of religion. Progress of individuals and society with the spirit of friendship, compassion and nonviolence as well as free from attachment and hatred, has been the main message of Eastern humanism. Personal conduct and social order based on morality

is the practical form of Eastern humanism. It has been considered the duty of every person to preserve and strengthen such a system based on morality,” the President said.

She added that Eastern humanism looked at the universe as a moral stage and not as a material battle-ground. In the building and sustaining of this moral order, every individual has to be action-oriented and not rely on fate.

Prashanth Madal was caught taking a bribe a day ago.

President Droupadi Murmu, Mangubhai Patel and Shivraj Singh Chouhan during the inauguration of the 7th International Dharma Dhamma Conference in Bhopal on Friday. —PHOTO BY ANI

‘Data protection bill not formally sent to IT panel’

Rajnath Singh met Yoav Gallant on Friday.

Karti Chidambaram

QUAD CALLS LASTING PEACE IN UKRAINE

New Delhi: The foreign ministers of Quad countries today reaffirmed the grouping’s commitment for a free and open Indo-Pacific and said it strongly supports the rule of law, sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful settlement of disputes, in comments seen as an oblique message to China.

After External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australia’s Penny Wong met, it was announced that a Quad working group on counter-terrorism would be established to explore measures to counter new and emerging forms of terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism.

The ministers vowed to work closely to align and complement Quad’s agenda with Japan’s presidency of the G7, India’s presidency of the G20 and the United States’ APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) “host year” in 2023.

Following the meet-

AIIMS TO PAIR WITH DELHI GOVT HOSPS TO ENSURE REFERRAL OF PATIENTS

New Delhi: With the aim of strengthening quality healthcare in the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena chaired a meeting with various stakeholders on Friday to evolve a formal system for referral of patients between the premiere AIIMS and other government hospitals in the city. According to the LG office, the objective behind the move is to optimally utilize the vacant beds in govt hospitals where critical but stable patients from AIIMS.

FIRE AT KOCHI WASTE PLANT YET TO BE DOUSED

Kerala: A major fire that broke out at Kochi-based Brahmapuram waste treatment plant a day ago continues to burn despite efforts by the city’s Fire and Rescue Services to douse the blaze, officials said.A total of 16 pumping units and six JCBs have been deployed to bring the fire under control, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, officials said. “The fire started last evening and we tried to douse the fire yesterday itself.”

BJP LIKELY TO ASSUME OFFICE IN TRIPURA

Tripura: The second BJP-led govt is likely to assume office in Tripura on March 8, outgoing

Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Friday after submitting his resignation letter to Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya in the Raj Bhavan here. Saha while talking to the media said that the new BJP government is likely to assume office on March 8 when the Chief Minister and other ministers take oath. Newly elected members of BJP would meet here soon to finalise the necessary formalities, he said.

BJP NATIONAL GENERAL SECY BANSAL RETURNS TO UP TO GIVE BOOST TO BJP

Lucknow: After staying away from Uttar Pradesh for seven months, BJP national general secretary

Sunil Bansal is back in Lucknow to take stock of the party’s preparedness for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bansal has sought a detailed feedback from BJP leaders for seats in state which the party lost in the 2019 general elections. State leaders have been asked to step up work in the key assembly segments at the earliest.

IPS RASHMI SHUKLA APPOINTED

DG OF SSB

New Delhi: The Central govt has appointed Rashmi Shukla, an IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Shukla has been an accused in a phone tapping case.She was accused of tapping the phones of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCP leader Eknath Khadse among others. A complaint had been registered in the matter, however the Eknath Shinde government rejected the demands to prosecute her.

ing, the four ministers attended a session at the Raisina Dialogue and spoke largely about the convergence of interests of the Quad member nations.

“For us the future is so much in the IndoPacific. Our engagement throughout the region, both through

US SECY OF STATE ARRIVES FOR QUAD MEET

QUAD COMMITTED TO SUPPORT PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES

EAM HIGHLIGHTS RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN

the Quad and in other ways, is as comprehensive and as deep as any time I can remember,” Blinken said.

While Blinken and Ms Wong were in India to attend the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, Mr Hayashi came to Delhi to participate in the Quad meeting.

New Delhi (ANI): US Secy of State Antony Blinken on Friday arrived at Taj Palace to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue. A panel discussion on “The Quad Squad: Power and Purpose of the Polygon,” is going to be held today where Quad Foreign Ministers will be participating at the event from 9:10-9:50 am, which will be moderated by the President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Samir Saran. The meeting will be chaired by EAM, S Jaishankar, and will see the participation of Foreign Ministers of Australia, Penny Wong & Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Uzbekistan child deaths: Police arrests 3 employees

Noida (ANI): The Noida Police on Friday arrested three people for manufacture and sale of duplicate medicines who are linked with the pharmaceutical firm that manufacrtured cough syrup whose use is alleged to have led to death some children in Uzbekistan last year.

The accused have been identified as Atul Rawat, Tuhin Bhattacharya and Mool Singh and were arrested from Marion Biotech Pvt Ltd. The case had been registered at Gautam Buddha Nagar Phase-3 Police Station under various sections of Drugs and Cosmetics

Act 1940. A probe had been launched last year launched an inquiry into the Noida-based drugs manufacturer after deaths of 18 children in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan had alleged that 18 children had died after consuming medicines manufac-

tured by the company. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation had conducted an inpsection following reports from Uzbekistan and all manufacturing activities of Marion Biotech at Noida unit were stopped till the completion of inquiry.

China: In a move to counter China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, Quad members (Australia, India, Japan and the US) on Friday committed to supporting Pacific Island countries. “We are committed to supporting Pacific Island countries in line with the objectives of the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,

guided by Pacific priorities of climate change, resilient infrastructure and maritime security,” read Quad leaders joint statement. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong today attended the Quad Foreign Ministers Meet, in Delhi on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue.

I&B secy visits Ram Temple at Ayodhya

Uttar Pradesh: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary

Apurva Chandra on Thursday reached Ayodhya on Thursday to take stock of the ongoing construction work of Ram temple there. He inspected the Ram temple construction site and discussed about the entire work with the site engineers.

Speaking to ANI, Apurva Chandra said, “Earlier no one was sure where the Ram temple would be made. Police were standing here earlier but today a temple is being made here. Everyone is waiting for this temple.”

NIA attaches J&K properties of Pak-based Basit Reshi, 2nd attachment in 72 hrs

New Delhi (ANI): Continuing its strong action against terrorists operating from Pakistan soil, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached the property of Pakistanbased listed terrorist Basit Ahmad Reshi in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Reshi’s agriculture land measuring 9.25 Marlas has been attached under the provi-

‘PHONE TAPPING IS HAPPENING & NO ONE CAN DENY’

New Delhi: RJD MP Manoj Jha on Friday said that phone tapping is happening and no one can deny this fact. While speaking to ANI, RJD leader Manoj Jha said “Pegasus or no Pegasus phone tapping is happening”.

RJD leader further stated that BJP leaders fear talking to him over the phone. ” Many of my friends in BJP say to me let’s talk on signal not on a phone call as calls are getting tapped so this reality has to be accepted” he said.

sions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the NIA said in a statement. A resident

of Baramulla, Reshi is a ‘listed terrorist’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and

has been operating from Pakistan after his exfiltration to Pakistan. He has been found funding terror activities and acts in the valley, the NIA said on Friday. This action closely follows the attachment of the Srinagar-based property of Mushtaq Zargar alias Latram, the founder and Chief Commander of AlUmar Mujahideen, on Thursday.

NET PRACTICE

New Delhi (ANI): EAM S Jaishankar on Friday highlighted three big issues that the Quad and the World needs to address, “resilient supply chain, digital challenge and connectivity,” at the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting held on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2023. “Three big issues that Quad and the world needs to address and I think Quad can address and can make a difference. First, more reliable and resilient supply chain, second digital challenge of trust and transparency and third connectivity. I expect these to be a greater part of our agenda,” said Jaishankar. He also said that new things came out during Quad deliberations.

Central Govt accepts resignation of UP IAS

Vidya Bhushan

Ahtesham Siddiqui

Lucknow: The central government has accepted the resignation of the famous IAS Vidya Bhushan of Uttar Pradesh. The UP government had sent a proposal to the central government regarding the resignation of IAS Vidya Bhushan. Notably, IPS Alankrita Singh, wife of IAS Vidya Bhushan, is already under suspension, for going abroad without permission.

UP government has already accepted the resignation of IAS Vidya Bhushan and the proposal was sent to the Center. IAS Vidya Bhushan, of the 2008 batch, is originally from Bihar and has served as the DM of Amethi, Pratapgarh, Etawah.

IAS Vidya Bhushan, being MD PVVNL in Varanasi, had sent his resignation to the appointment department. He could not get VRS, so he submitted his resignation on medical basis.

Before the resignation of IAS Vidya Bhushan, the government had also approved VRS of IAS Juthika Patankar, IAS Renuka Kumar and IAS Vikas Gothalwal. Notably, in the Uttar Pradesh

bureaucracy Bhushan is considered a good and hardworking officer. He has claimed that his wife IPS Alankrita Singh had gone on foreign study leave, but she was suspended as her leave application was not accepted, due to which IAS Vidya Bhushan was also reportedly sad!

Captain Modi gives his bowlers certain freedom: EAM

New Delhi (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a cricket team captain and said he gave his bowlers a certain amount of freedom while expecting them to take wickets.

Jaishankar said Modi’s knack of taking tough decisions was also on display when India decided to announce the lockdown after the outbreak of Covid, step

up production of vaccines, roll out an inoculation programme and help countries in need of vaccines.

“With Captain Modi, there is a lot of net practice. The net practice starts at 6 o’clock in the morning and goes on till fairly late,” Jaishankar said during an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former England cricketer Kevin Pieterson. He

said Captain Modi also gave a certain latitude to his colleagues and trusted them to deal with a particular situation. “If

you have a particular bowler you have trust in or you have seen perform, you would give them the latitude, you

throw the ball to them at the right moment. You trust them to deal with that particular situation,” he said.

“In that sense, Captain Modi does give his bowlers a certain amount of freedom. He expects you to take that wicket, if he gives you the chance to do it,” Jaishankar said.

He also recalled watching the prime minister take tough decisions when the Covid pandemic broke out

three years back.

“All of us, if we look back for the past three years, the decision to lockdown was a very very tough decision. But, it had to be taken at that point of time. If we now look back, what would have happened if we had not taken that decision,” Jaishankar said. He recalled how he had worked closely with Blair to ensure supply of raw materials for production of AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccines.

S Jaishankar, Penny Wong, Antony Blinken and Yoshimasa Hayashi in a picture after attending the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meet on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Friday.

Image for representational purpose only.

IAS Vidya Bhushan with wife IPS Alankrita Singh

NIA officials attach the properties Hizbul Mujahideen militant, under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, in Baramulla district.

S Jaishankar presides over the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meet in New Delhi on Friday.

THE ‘SAD’ COUPLE

TATA GROUP AIMING AT NET-ZERO EMISSION BY 2045

IN FEBRUARY 2023

IND SERVICE SECTOR HITS 12-YEAR HIGH

New Delhi: Tata Steel

Vice-Chairman Noel N Tata said the issue of climate change can no longer be ignored and Tata group was aiming at netzero emission by 2045.

Addressing a gathering at Bistupur Postal Park, he said, “We have developed a project that covers the entire Tata Group-Aalingana (embrace) which aims net-zero emissions by 2045, pave the way for circular economy through sharing, reusing and recycling; and preserve and restore nature and biodiversity”. —PTI

TATA FIRM SIGNS

MoU WITH GAIL FOR CLEAN FUEL

Sensex rallies nearly 900 points; Nifty jumps over 272 points

New Delhi (PTI): The Indian services sector expanded at the strongest rate in 12 years in February supported by favourable demand conditions and new business gains, a monthly survey said on Friday.

The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Services PMI Business Activity Index rose from 57.2 in January to 59.4 in February -- its highest level in 12 years.

“The service sector more than regained the growth momentum lost in January, posting the sharpest expansion in output for 12 years as demand resilience and competitive pricing policies underpinned the joint-best upturn in sales over the same period,” said Pollyanna De Lima, Economics Associate Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

On the prices front, there was substantial moderation in cost pressures as input prices increased at

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

z The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Services PMI Business Activity Index rose to 59.4 in Feb — its highest level in 12 years. For the 19th straight month, the headline figure was above 50 threshold

the slowest pace in nearly two-and-a-half years and output charge inflation softened to a 12-month low.

New orders placed with

z The service sector more than regained the growth momentum lost in January, posting the sharpest expansion in output for 12 years

z On the prices front, there was substantial moderation in cost pressures as input prices increased at the slowest pace

service providers rose further in February, with several firms suggesting that competitive pricing boosted sales, the survey said.

Mumbai (PTI): The Sensex jumped nearly 900 points and the Nifty rallied over 272 points on Friday, bouncing back from the previous day’s fall, following a positive trend in global equities and fresh foreign fund inflows.

The BSE Sensex rallied 899.62 points or 1.53% to end at 59,808.97 after starting the trade on a positive note. During the day, it jumped 1,057.69 points or 1.79% to 59,967.04.

The NSE Nifty advanced 272.45 points or 1.57% to settle at 17,594.35.

From the Sensex pack, State Bank of India, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries, ITC, Tata Steel, IndusInd

Forex kitty falls $325 million to $560.94 billion

Mumbai (PTI): India’s foreign exchange reserves dropped $325 million to $560.942 billion as of February 24, making it the fourth consecutive week of decline in the kitty.

In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had declined $5.68 billion to $561.267 billion.

Bhubaneswar: In order to reduce carbon footprint in its operations, Tata Steel Mining Limited has signed a MoU with GAIL (India) Limited for supply of natural gas to its Ferro Alloys Plant. GAIL will supply the agreed quantity of natural gas through its pipeline from Gujarat to Athgarh. “We are committed to protect the environment by using cleaner fuels and signing of the MoU with GAIL (India) Limited will further help us in this direction,” Tata Steel MD said. —PTI

TATA MOTORS CROSSES 50 LAKH CAR MILESTONE

RELIANCE TO SET UP 10 GIGAWATT SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT IN AP

Visakhapatnam (PTI):

New Delhi: Tata Motors on Friday said it has crossed 50 lakh cumulative passenger vehicle production milestone. It achieved the 10 lakh production mark in 2004 & 20 lakh in 2010. It crossed 30 lakh units in 2015 & 40 lakh units in 2020. “This journey, from each million to the next, has been one replete with its fair share of ups and downs,” Tata Motors PV MD Shailesh Chandra said. The company noted that it was able to stride ahead from 40 lakh cars to 50 lakh units within three years, despite COVID-19 and semiconductor shortage. —PTI

GOLD JUMPS BY `160/10 GM; SILVER CLIMBS `220/KG

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Friday said his group will be investing in Andhra Pradesh to set up a 10 gigawatt renewable solar energy project. Ambani said as much as `1.50 lakh crore was invested in Reliances’ KG-D6 assets, developing and supporting gas pipeline and the natural gas produced there is fuelling India’s clean energy transition and will contribute to nearly 30% of the country’s gas production.

“I would like to assure you that Reliance will continue to be an unflinching partner to the people and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. I am happy to an-

RELIANCE’S AP PARTNERSHIP

z Mukesh Ambai announced that Reliance will continue to be an unflinching partner to the people and the Government of Andhra

nounce that we will continue our investments and we will invest in 10 gigawatts of renewable solar energy in the state of Andhra Pradesh,” Ambani said.

ADANI TO SET UP CEMENT PLANTS, DATA CENTRE IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Visakhapatnam (PTI): Adani group will set up two new cement manufacturing plants, 15,000 MW of renewable power projects and a data centre in Andhra Pradesh as it looks to double down on its presence in the state, Karan Adani, founder family’s scion, said on Friday. The apples-to-airport group plans to double the capacity of the two sea ports it operates at Krishnapatnam and Gangavaram in the state, he said. The investments will be on top of the `20,000 crore already invested in the state, which created more than 18,000 direct and 54,000 indirect jobs.

SAYS KARNATAKA CHIEF MINISTER

New Delhi: Gold price jumped `160 to `55,940/10 grams in the national capital on Friday amid a rise in rates of the precious metal in overseas markets, according to HDFC Securities. The yellow metal had closed at `55,780 per 10 grams in the previous trade. Silver also climbed `220 to `64,700/kg. “Comex gold prices edged higher in the Asian trading hours on Friday,” Saumil Gandhi, of Commodities at HDFC Securities, said. —PTI

Bank, HDFC Bank, Tata Motors, HDFC and Titan were the major gainers.

Tech Mahindra, UltraTech Cement, Nestle and Asian Paints were the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Japan, China & Hong Kong ended in the green. Equity markets in Europe were trading in the positive territory. The US markets had ended higher on Thursday.

RUPEE GAINS 63 PAISE TO CLOSE AT 81.97 AGAINST US DOLLAR

New Delhi (PTI): The rupee appreciated by 63 paise to close at a onemonth high of 81.97 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.28 against the American currency and finally settled at 81.97 (provisional) against the greenback, registering a gain of 63 paise over its previous close of 82.60. During the trading session, the rupee touched a high of 81.92 and a low of 82.35 against the dollar.

In October 2021, the forex kitty reached an all-time high of $645 billion. The reserves have been declining as the central bank deploys the reserves to defend the rupee amid pressures due to various factors, mainly global developments.

For the week ended February 24, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, decreased $166 million to $495.906 billion, according to the Weekly Statistical Supplement released by the RBI.

‘High temp unlikely to damage wheat crops’

New Delhi (PTI): Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra asserted that wheat crops are unlikely to get damaged although temperatures are little bit on higher side and exuded confidence of achieving a record output of 112 million tonne in this crop year ending June.

The secretary said the ban on wheat exports would continue, boosting the availability of grains for the government procurement.

He said the government would procure around 35 million tonne of wheat in

2023-24 marketing year (April-March).

Chopra said wheat prices have come down and would ease further after the arrival of new crop.

“(On Wednesday), we had a meeting with state food sec-

World Bank commits $1billion towards India’s healthcare infra

New Delhi (PTI): The World Bank and India on Friday signed two complementary loans of $500 million each to support and enhance the country’s healthcare infrastructure. Through this combined financing of $1 billion (about Rs 8,200 crore), the bank will support India’s flagship Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PMABHIM), launched in October 2021, to improve the public healthcare infrastructure across the country, the multilateral funding agency said in a statement.

In addition to the national-level interventions, one of the loans will prioritize health service delivery in seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, it said.

NEW APPLE PLANT TO CREATE 1 LAKH JOBS

Bengaluru (PTI): Apple phones would be built in a new 300 acre factory in Karnataka creating about one lakh jobs, according to Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Apple phones to be built in a new 300 acre factory in Karnataka.

Bommai said: “Apple phones to be built in the state soon. Apart from creating about 100,000 jobs, it will create a whole lot of opportunities for Karnataka”.

Meanwhile, a delegation

of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), an Apple Inc. Partner, led by its chairman Young Liu, ar-

rived in Bengaluru on Friday. The delegation was taken to inspect the location

TOP TALKING POINTS

z According to Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CM Basavaraj Bommai, Apple phones would be built in a new 300 acre factory in Karnataka creating about one lakh jobs

z Apart from creating about 100,000 jobs, it will create a whole lot of opportunities

for setting up an Apple phone manufacturing unit in the State, the Minister’s office said in a statement.

retaries, which was followed by a meeting with state food ministers. And what we have discovered in the meeting is that the food scenario in the country is very, very comfortable,” Chopra said.

OTHER STORIES

‘No proposal as of now to increase sugar export quota’

New Delhi (PTI): The government is not considering any proposal as of now to increase the sugar export quota from the present 60 lakh tonnes for this marketing year ending September, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said. The food ministry has allowed 60 lakh tonnes of sugar exports for the current 2022-23 marketing year. The country had exported around 110 lakh tonnes, an all-time high, of sugar in the 2021-22 marketing year. The secretary asserted that “as of now there are no proposals for any further export quota.”

‘INDIA THIRD LARGEST COUNTRY FOR NOKIA FOR ENGAGEMENT IN 6G STANDARDISATION’

Barcelona: Nokia Chief Strategy and Technology Officer Nishant Batra lauded the Indian government’s approach towards 6G spectrum and said that India has become third largest country for Nokia for engagement in 6G standardisation.

“We have already started seeing a moment in India to define the 6G spectrum.

It is a very encouraging and progressive step by the government. In this case, I am actually proud to say that it is taking a progressive step beyond what the rest of the world is doing,” Batra said. —PTI

ADANI COMPANIES’ SHARES RALLY; ADANI ENTERPRISES UP 17%

New Delhi: Shares of all listed Adani Group companies rallied on Friday, with Adani Enterprises jumping nearly 17% after the group sold minority stakes in four of its listed companies to US-based GQG Partners for `15,446 crore. In three trading sessions, the combined market valuation of the ten listed firms have jumped more than `1.42 lakh crore. Shares of Adani Enterprises zoomed 16.97%. —PTI

JINDAL TO INVEST `10K CRORE TO SET UP 3

TONNE STEEL PLANT

MN

Visakhapatnam: Jindal Steel & Power limited will be investing `10,000 crore for setting up a 3 mn tonne per annum steel plant in Andhra Pradesh, its chairman Naveen Jindal said on Friday. “Further to increase our investments in the state (AP), we are working on setting up a three mn tonne steel plant near Krishnapatnam by investing more than `10,000 crore,” he said on Friday. —PTI

IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN NORMS COULD PERPETUATE EXISTING MARKET DOMINANCE: CEA

New Delhi: Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Friday said that implementation of certain regulations by regulators could perpetuate existing market dominance as he cited the data and privacy norms in the technology space. He emphasised that while competition drives innovation, there is also a distinction between competition and free markets. He pointed out that competition agencies must be mindful of the unintended consequences of their actions. —PTI

Bypoll results lesson for both BJP and MVA: Pol observers

Cong snatches Kasba Peth seat from BJP as the latter bags Chinchwad in by-elections

Mumbai: The results of bypolls to two Assembly seats in Pune district will serve as a lesson to the ruling

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to get its act together and introspect, and to the Opposition

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to unite for better electoral prospects, feel political observers.

Two Assembly segments in Pune district

Kasba Peth and Chinchwad voted on February 26 in bypolls necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MLAs Mukta Tilak and Laxman Jagtap, respectively.

In the results declared on Thursday, the Kasba bypoll was won by the Congress, a constituent of the MVA.

Congress candidate

Ravindra Dhangekar defeated BJP’s Hemant Rasane to win this seat, which had been with the BJP since 1995.

However, BJP candidate Ashwini Jagtap, wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap, won the Chinchwad Assembly constituency. She defeated Vitthal alias

Nana Kate of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Senior Congress lead-

er Ratnakar Mahajan said the Kasba bypoll result inspires the MVA, which comprises the

‘Bypoll result shows discontent over BJP’

The by-election results were a lesson to the opposition parties. It gave out a message that ‘united we win, divided we fall’. Uddhav Thackeray will have to rethink on his alliance with Prakash Ambedkar (head of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi), who openly supported Rahul Kalate, the independent candidate in Chinchwad when Thackeray was persuading Kalate to withdraw from the race.”

First India Bureau Mumbai : Launching an attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the latter lost the Kasba Peth Assembly to the consensus MVA candidate, the official mouthpiece of Shiv Sena -Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, Saamana, on Friday claimed the bypoll result goes to show the deep-seated public discontent against the BJP in Maharashtra and across the country.

editorial claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi had breached a BJP bastion.

Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, to stay united.

The result is people’s verdict on local and state issues. There is nothing more to read into it, he said.

“BJP leader Girish Bapat won five times from Kasba because of his connect with the masses and not due to his caste and there was no leader in the Congress to counter him,” Mahajan said.

On the Chinchwad seat, the Congress leader said this constituency is a mix of outsider and local population because it is an industrial area.

Mahajan said sympathy factor worked for Ashwini Jagtap in Chinchwad, but it did not work in Kasba even as sitting Pune MP Girish Bapat, who is critically ill, had to step out to campaign for his party and for casting his vote.

In an editorial published on Friday, the mouthpiece said, “The result of Kasba Peth (Assembly bypoll) shows the deep-seated public discontent against the BJP in Maharashtra and in India as well. The voters are aware of all that is happening around them and hence voted against the BJP. The bypoll result in Kasba is being celebrated across Pune. This celebration will continue till 2024, not just in Maharashtra but across the country as well.”

Further, on the victory in Kasba Peth, the

Democracy under threat, world knows about it: Aaditya

First India Bureau

Mumbai : Shiv SenaUddhav Balasaheb

Thackeray leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday said that democracy in India is under threat and the whole world knows about it.

While speaking to media persons in Mumbai, the former state Tourism minister said, “Our democracy is under threat and the whole world knows about it.

Not only Rahul Gandhi but everyone is saying the same thing. Only those who are standing with government do not accept the reality of today but deep inside even they know that.”

Earlier in the day, Congress national leader Rahul Gandhi, while delivering a a lecture at Cambridge University in London, stated that intelligence officers had warned him of Pegasus software in his phone. Remarking on the revelation, Thackeray said, “I don’t know

Licenses of six cough syrup manufacturers suspended: Govt

First India Bureau

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government told the state Legislative Assembly on Friday that the licenses of six manufacturers of cough syrups in the state have been suspended for not following the rules.

Food and Drugs

Administration Minister Sanjay Rathod made the statement while replying to a calling attention notice by Ashish Shelar (BJP) and others.

Recently, a cough syrup made by a Noida-based firm was alleged to have caused the death of 18 children in Uzbekistan.

Noida police on Friday said they had arrested three employees of the firm.

Rathod said that

the Maharashtra government had initiated inquiry against 84 out of 108 manufacturers of cough syrups in the state.

Four of them were directed to stop production while the licences of six companies were suspended, he said. As many as 17 firms were served show-cause notices for violation of rules, the minister added. “We have, however, taken a strict action against the violators of rules,” said the minister.

MVA-backed Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar won the Kasba Peth bypoll, trouncing BJP’s Hemant Rasane by 10,915 votes.

“These bypolls had to be held owing to the untimely demise of BJP MLAs Muktatai Tilak and Laxman Jagtap, and it is the BJP, which now has to bear the embarrassment of losing the prestigious seat of Kasba,” the editorial read further.

On the MVA’s loss in the other bypoll for the Chinchwad Assembly seat of Pune, the editorial stated that the BJP only

emerged victorious after a struggle.

“In Chinchwad, the wife of late MLA Laxman Jagtap, emerged victorious only because of a three-way split in the Opposition votes. Had it been a contest between two candidates like Kasba, the BJP, which believes in ‘khokeshahi’ (splashing cash to seize power), would not have won,” it read.

“The contribution of the ‘original’ Shiv Sena, which was in the alliance at that time, was equally important in the BJP’s victories till date. Had it not been for Shiv Sainiks, then this so-called citadel of the BJP would have collapsed long time back,” it read.

about his phone being tapped, but, those who are trying to speak the truth in this country their voices are being stifled.”

“People’s phones were also tapped in Maharashtra, on which no action has been taken yet”, added the Shiv Sena scion.

Notably, Gandhi made these remarks at the Cambridge Business school during a lecture on the theme

“Learning to listen in the 21st century”. The Congress leader stated that democracy is under threat and all the institutional frameworks required in the country be it judiciary, Parliament, or free press are getting constrained. He further stated that as a union of states, India requires negotiation and conversation, and that the former is under attack.

C20 Inception meet to be held in Nagpur

First India Bureau

Nagpur: The C20 Inception Conference will be held in Nagpur in Maharashtra between March 20 and 23, with more than 200 foreign delegates from civic groups and NGOs scheduled to participate in the gathering.

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Vice Chairperson of Rambhau Mhalgi Probodhini and patron of CIVIL20 India secre-

tariat, made the announcement on Friday, he said the objective of the event would be to present the perspective of civil society, non-government organizations and the development sector in G20 nations.

Thane collector to oversee development works in dist: Shinde

First India Bureau

Thane: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has instructed Thane Collector Ashok Shingare to act as the nodal officer for overseeing the development projects in the district.

Mata Amritanandmayi, a spiritual leader, has been appointed as the C20 India Chair and the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini has been entrusted with the responsibility of the secretariat for the event that is scheduled to be held at the Press Club in Mumbai.

The themes include education, health, technology, environment, arts and crafts, democracy, human rights and

sustainable development, he said.

At the event, Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp, Indonesian C20 Sherpa Ah Maftuchan, Brazilian representative Alessandro Nilo, Argentinian Guillermina Alaniz, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will all be present as speakers.

CLOSE SHAVE

On Thursday, Shinde convened a meeting with a few ministers and senior officials from the region. He asked them to finish all the highway projects, road connections, and bridge repairs before the monsoon season.

Officials of departments such as highways, Metro, Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMRDA), Public Works Department (PWD), Traffic police and civic PWD have been asked to coordinate and complete

the ongoing developmental works, the release said. Shinde also asked officials to provide parking lots for heavy vehicles going to and from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

It was also directed that the number of traffic wardens must be increased, and cranes should be provided to attend to heavy vehicles that break down on highways, the release said.

MNS leader attacked, attempt to murder case filed

First India Bureau Mumbai: Maharashtra

Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande suffered fractures after being attacked with a cricket bat and stump by a group of people while he was on a morning walk in central Mumbai’s Dadar area on Friday morning, a police official said.

Shivaji Park police have registered a case of attempt to murder against three to four persons for assaulting the MNS general secretary and former councillor, the official said. The official said Deshpande sustained two fractures in his right hand and injuries to his legs in the attack. He was taken to a nearby hospital and

discharged after treatment, he said.

The police are going through footage from CCTV cameras in the area to ascertain the identities of the attackers, who had covered their faces, he said. “We have got some clues about them,” said the official, refusing to disclose more.

Police have pressed

charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) and 506-II (criminal intimidation), said the official, adding that further investigation is underway. Deshpande’s party colleague Akhil Chitre later released a video saying the attackers will be “paid back in the same coin.”

Sandeep Deshpande

After losing Kasba, BJP’s tally in the Maha Assembly is down to 105. —FILE PHOTO

Prakash Akolkar, Senior Journalist/Author

Shiv Sena - UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray —FILE PHOTO

Shiv Sena - UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray —FILE PHOTO

It is amazing what a single person can achieve with ambition, dedication and perseverance.

—Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, First

India

City First brings to you glimpses from the dazzling pre-party of Jaipur Couture Show 2023 held at EL Dordo, Raja Park on Thursday!

KAVITA CHAUHAN cityfirst@firstindia.co.in

Adazzling curtain raiser of Rajasthan’s biggest and most prominent fashion festival ‘Jaipur Couture Show 2023, season 11’ curated by Gaurav Gaur, Director Elite Miss Rajasthan took place at EL Dorado, Raja Park on Thursday was a cosy bash with a select set. The event also marked the celebration of a funfilled Pre-Holi celebration.

Jagdeesh Chandra graced the occasion as the chief guest and congratulated Gaurav Gaur for his great endeavour. He said “This is the 11th chapter of Jaipur Couture Show 2023 and with each passing year, the magnanimity of the fashion show is expanding as the platform to showcase brilliant beauty and talent. We are happy to see the enthusiasm in the participating girls.”

While addressing the media, Gaurav Gaur said “We

are getting into the zone of celebration and festivities. So keeping that in mind, this night set the mood for the day. So yes, it will surely be a regular affair for events that demand bespoke experiences.”

He further said “The three-day fashion festival is going to be held at The Palace on March 12, 13 and 14. The event will bring together a medley of fashion designers showcasing their vivacious and latest collections.”

Various who’s who of the city including Usha Punia, Designer Himmat Singh, JD Maheshwari, Ace designers Wow Fashion by Itisha Jain, Kadambh by Krishna Singh Jaddo & Craft Council of Weavers and Artisans by Deepak Sankit and super models like Akanksha Bhalla, Rutvi Tiwari, Shweta Raje, Sheena Par ashar, Rishika and Khushi Vijay among others were present during the bash.

Jagdeesh Chandra greeted by Neeraj Sharma. Also seen are Akanksha Bhalla and Gaurav Gaur

Jagdeesh Chandra with Himmat Singh (L) and Usha Punia (R)

Clockwise: Ardhu Choudhary, Sheena Parashar and Harshita

Jagdeesh Chandra with (R-L) Shivangi, Ritu, Navya, Rishika, Harshita, Kalpana, Divya, Sheena, Shweta, Khushi and Yashwini

Top to Bottom: Shweta and Ritu

—PHOTOS BY MUKESH KIRADOO

A SPELLBINDING BASH!

City First brings to you some more glimpses from the astonishing trophy launch and celebration of the upcoming 14th season of The Fashion Connect held at Dyore, Jaipur on Wednesday. Wishes poured in for Brand Ambassador Rishee Miglani for another succesful year of Fashion Connect. Various who’s who of the city including Show Director Lokesh Sharma, Dr Sandeep Bakshi, JNU Vice Chancellor; Film Distributor Raj Bansal, Sudhir Kasliwal, famous designer Wrickie Angrish, Vriti, Nitika Panjwani, Ishita Gupta and Aishwarya among others were present on the occasion. Fashion Connect Season 14, presented by First India News, is scheduled to take place on March 19, 2023 in Dubai.

Jagdeesh Chandra with Dr Sandeep Bakshi Vandana Chandna Geetansh Manmeet and Vania Chaudhary

Jagdeesh Chandra with (L-R) Rishee, Aashima, Pallavi and Kartik

Shweta, Puneet and Rishee

Parul, Dheerja and Dushyant

Shweta Kasliwal and Sudhir Kasliwal

Hemant, Kartika, Ankit, Pallavi and Apra Pooja, Kamlakar, Mamta and Sidharth

Hamit, Varun, Surbhi and Channdnii

Vriti and Wrickie Abhishek and Shweta Raniwala Shiksha and Aishwariya

and Srishty

Swaroop and Narendra Singh

Shalini and Farah

Rishee, Channdnii and Hamit

Deviya and Simran Pooja, Shubhra, Neha, Sidharth and Manish

Teena, Natasha, Usha Punia, Vijay Laxmi, Neera, Anjana and Kulsum

Vineet Rajpal Kewal and Anjana

Jagdeep Singh and Doorva Aanchan with Nyaro installations Kavita Chauhan and Channdinnii

Rishee Miglani and Pallavi Jaipur

Priyambi, Ishita and Ayesha

Tina Kapoor

Lokesh Sharma

Ashwin

Kashvi, Ashmita, Nitika, Bhanvi, Priyanka, Anchal, Itika, Ruby and Nishtha

Rohit Kamra Nidhi, Sonia and Dr Swati

JD Maheshwari

Sudhanshu Pandey, a singer and actor who has been in films and on television, hopes of forging deeper connections with his audience. Recently we had an exclusive conversation with him, where the star opened up on mental health, his journey and more!

Talking about his fitness

Sudhanshu

‘

THE ONLY GODFATHER I HAVE IS THE ALMIGHTY’

set. I believe that in life first, you learn what not to do and eventually, you'll know what to do. You shouldn't sit for much time, these are some basic things if you follow it will be great. I don't take supplements or do any heavy workouts, the only thing which will keep me healthy and at my best is my mental health. And if you see the biggest challenge one can face today is the struggle

selves to others, their jobs, and their lives. We keep chasing things throughout our life and forget about our existence.

When asked about being in this glamorous industry where we don't know how the person who is acting is feeling, how does he take care of his mental health? Sudhanshu responded, " it is very important to connect with yourself on

Kangana calls GenZ GAJAR MULI

our feelings. Because it can affect you! Doesn't matter if the time in your life is good or bad, if you don't take care of your mental sanity it is going to make things worse. Once that stability comes inside you no one can shake your foundation".

Speaking of his spiritual journey, " I have always been spiritual throughout my life, I have always had that immense faith in God.

And during the highs and lows, I have always found that guidance throughout any circumstances. I have devoted myself to Mahakal and I have learned to accept things, but this doesn't come overnight. It takes years of consistency and belief. Things can get to you at times and stopping them is an important thing to do. In 2008 I had a panic attack and I was in a dark space for quite a time it at least took me 4 years to come out of that phase. And without any medication or external help, I started surrendering myself more and more to shiv and I got out of it. Ever since then, I have been a huge follower of his.

Talking about his journey in the Industry he said, "I started modelling at the age of 19 and I was already at the top. Ever since I haven't looked behind. After 3 years I came to Bombay and I started working here. I never really learned anything. I learned things while I was doing my job. I have done some incredible jobs in the Tamil film industry where I have dubbed an entire script in 6 hours, quite a journey it has been. I didn't have a Godfather but I believe in an almighty who is my Godfather and who has always guided me.

Speaking of this industry he said, " it shouldn't be a Bollywood or a South Industry! It should be an Indian industry when it comes to entertainment. The work culture everywhere is different but that's what makes it special. Regardless of the stardom we have, I think I am blessed enough to maintain my Individuality. Talking about his similarities with his character Vanraj, "I think the only similarity I and Vanraj have is that we are dedicated to our family that's it", he concluded.

Bhumi to address women at Niti Aayog

Driving Women Entrepreneurship and Global Strategy in G20 by Women Entrepreneurship Platform, NITI Aayog (Government Of India) in Mumbai.

Young Bollywood star

Bhumi Pednekar has known for her socially conscious and progressive efforts towards gender awareness. As she inspires young women with her

personal choices and decisions to portray women as fierce forces of nature through her films, she has been roped in by the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) in G20 by Niti Aayog to address women entrepreneurs of India.

Bhumi will address the women entrepreneurs attending this event. She expressed, “The future of

India is female. I have believed in it and I have done whatever it takes to try and further this vision.

Since the pandemic, the loss in human capital has very deeply impacted women-led businesses across different sectors. As they have to take the load of housework and childcare, their businesses were hardest hit.

WEP will bring informa -

tion, and ways to find fi nance or funding support and help women find part nerships to take forward their entrepreneurial ambitions. I’m look ing forward to meeting the young minds that will lead this transfor mation for our country.”

Kangana Ranaut often makes headlines owing to her controversial posts. In her latest Instagram post, the Tanu Weds Manu actress lashes

ford to buy a home, and that they hate to commit or marry. She wrote on her Instagram Stories on Friday, “Gen Z... HA HA their limbs and legs are like sticks, they spend most of their time on phones than actually interacting, observing or reading, they are incapable of consistency and seriously believe that they should simply be given the post of Boss who they don't respect because their Boss believes in discipline and came up the hard way and GenZ only respect quick success.”

She continued, "GenZ loves Starbucks and Avocado toast but can't afford to buy a home, they can rent branded clothes to impress on SM but hate to commit or marry, studies even show that they are too lazy to have sex as well, the woke worm GenZ is literally like gajar muli (carrot and raddish)... ?"

Hrithik & Saba to tie the knot?

Three powerhouses of India

- Producer Bhushan Kumar, Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and In -

Allu Arjun's next A Grand Poster Launch

dian superstar Allu Arjun come together for a massive collaboration.

The movie under this association will be produced by T-Series Films Production and Bhadrakali Pictures.

Producer Bhushan Kumar, Pranay Reddy Vanga,

Co-Producer Shiv Chanana with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga and the superstar Allu Arjun recently met to formalize this huge collaboration.

Headlined by Allu Arjun, the filming of this movie will commence right after the wrap-up of Sandeep Vanga’s Spirit which is also produced by T-Series Films Production and Bhadrakali Pictures.

The fifth edition of the three-day gala "Chitra Bharati Film Festival 2024" was organised from February 23 to 25, 2024 in Panchkula. The excitement of documentary and short filmmakers paid off on Thursday. On this occasion, the poster of CBFF-2024 was also released at the Constitutional Club. Appreciating its efforts, veteran cine director and actor Satish Kaushik, who is closely associated with BCS, said, “I have attended several film festivals across the world but BCS’s event of CBFF is completely different from them.” On releas-

ing the poster of CBFF-2024, Parlia mentarian and fa mous Bhojpuri singer Manoj Ti wari said that the CBFF is a platform to launch new tal ent and people will know the message of Bharatness during the three-day fes tival from February 23 to February 25, 2024, at Panchkula. He said that the film industry exploits the budding tal ents whereas CBFF pro vides them with a plat form to flourish.

Looks like Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad are getting married after Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani! A Twitter user said that the couple is prepared to further their relationship just days after a video of them kissing at the airport went

Taking to Twitter, a user by the name @ BollywoodKiNews claimed that Hrithik and Saba are ready for a new phase in their

relationship. "Hrithik and Saba Azad are going to get married in November 2023,” the viral tweet reads Yet this isn't the first time that stories about them getting hitched have circulated. Before the tweet went viral, it was reported that the B-town actor was intending to jump ‘again,’ and his family was overjoyed since they thought Saba was the ‘ideal choice’ for him. For those who are unaware, Hrithik previously wed Sussanne Khan; however, the couple divorced in 2014.

Sudhanshu Pandey

Kangana Ranaut

Her story...

Hrithik Roshan and Saba Azad

Bhumi Pednekar

Allu Arjun

(L-R)-Ranjana Yadav, Atul Gangwar, Manoj Tiwari, Satish Kaushik, Brij Kishor Kuthiyala and Anupam Bhatnagar.